Second senior PR manager in just over a month leaves Quicken

Jennifer Rass, 42, left Thursday as senior communications manager of Quicken Loans Inc., the second of two top members of Dan Gilbert’s public relations team to leave since late February.

Rass’ departure comes a month after Paula Silver left her job as Quicken vice president of communications to become Federal-Mogul Corp.’s vice president of communications and investor relations.

Their workloads will, for now, be handled by the current 12-member PR staff.

In another personnel shift, Jennifer Kulczyck now is vice president of communications for Gilbert’s Rock Ventures LLC and Bedrock Real Estate Services LLC, according to Aaron Emerson, director of communications for Quicken. The change was effective March 31.

Rass said in an email that she left to deal with a family medical issue.

“It was a very difficult decision to make and an even scarier one to act upon,” she said.

“The past four years, I have been given opportunities that most people don’t get in their entire careers. I love my job, the companies I have had the privilege of serving, the culture and the amazing people I encounter on a daily basis, including all of you, which is why this is so hard for me.”

Prior to joining Quicken in April 2010, Rass was corporate communications manager from 2006 to 2010 for Southfield-based automotive supplier Federal-Mogul, according to her LinkedIn profile. She also was a communications specialist for Lear Corp. (2002-04); marketing manager for the Detroit Science Center (2002); and marking supervisor for Learning Care Group Inc. (1997-2002).

Rass is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University.

Silver, 53, left Quicken in late February and started at Federal-Mogul on March 3. She started at Quicken in 2009 in a position she took after working as director of global communications for Federal-Mogul since 2003.

She said in an email last month that she worked in automotive communications for most of her career, first at United Technologies Automotive and then in communications consulting for Arvin Meritor Inc. in Detroit and at Textron Inc. while she was the owner of her own firm, PBS Communications.

Emerson, 35, said in an email that Kulczyckiwill continue to oversee public relations for Rock Gaming LLC.

Kulczycki, 40, had been communications director for Rock Gaming since August 2010, according to her LinkedIn profile. She became senior public relations manager for Quicken beginning in May 2009. She was the manager of media relations for MotorCity Casino Hotel from August 2007 to May 2009 and communications manager for Ilitch Holdings Inc. from 2006-07.

She earned degrees from the State University of New York at Buffalo and Walsh College.

Emerson has been with Quicken Loans since October 2006, working as public relations manager until February 2009, according to his LinkedIn profile. He then became senior public relations manager, a job he held from March 2009 to November 2012. He became communications director in December 2012.

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